Coffee and Hallways
by SilverwingedSeraphim
Summary: Sebastian works at the local coffee shop part time and goes to school during the afternoons. When a new student moves into the area, will he teach Sebastian how to have fun? AU, Seb x Ciel. Don't like, don't read.
1. Ocean Side Cafe

The cafe was busy for it being two in the morning. A tall boy hustled around the packed tables, serving the patrons who were just getting off the night shift, or just about to start the early morning shift. "Two black coffees and a scone." The tall boy said as he set down the man's order.

The customer nodded and gratefully accepted the coffee. The customer was surprisingly small, looking almost girlish in his sleepy haze. "Thanks." He definitely wasn't one of the regulars and he looked too young to be up this early.

"So what brings you here?"

"Recently moved, got a class in an hour and couldn't sleep." The boy sighed and began sipping at his coffee. He would definitely need the caffeine.

"Well, good luck." Sebastian slipped off to the other tables, getting orders and gathering empty cups. His shift was always full of interesting characters.

"Sebbie, why don't you come with us? You'd have fun!" One of his regular customers pouted as he took away their cups. Grell was one of the local party goers. He was always begging Sebastian to come with him on one of his many excursions. Grell brushed his long red hair over his shoulders and smoothed out his crimson jacket. "You'd love the music." He knew Sebastian was a huge music fan.

"I've got school Grell." Sebastian laughed as he stacked the cups up. "You need anything more?" He directed the question to the rest of the entourage. A few of the party members nodded and called out orders that Sebastian took down.

Grell continued to pout. "You should take a day off, you're always working here, and you're always at school. You gotta play sometime Sebbie!" Grell's voice was grating to the ears. How this man ever had friends was beyond Sebastian's comprehension. Probably because they were all too drunk to remember who they spent time with, although they always came back to the coffee shop.

"I've got AP Government in five hours, and a few classes at college after school. I don't have time to party Grell." This much was the truth. He had grown tired of the average classes offered at his high school and had asked if he could take college classes for credit.

"But it's so much fun! Take a day off, you need it."

"I'll think about it." He smiled and went back to the counter to drop off the dirty cups. "Table five needs two lattes, six needs four cappachinos, and twelve needs two Colossus, one to go, one for here." He rattled off the order without ever taking out his notepad.

"Got it." The barista nodded and proceeded to ring up the orders.

The cacophony of coffee beans being ground filled the air as Sebastian got ready to start new pots. Mey-rin worked on the drink orders and alerted Sebastian when they were ready to go out.

Sebastian took the glasses out, delivering the hot beverages to their waiting customers. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Grell's table appreciated the refills. They were probably there to sober up before trying to drive home. "You should really think about taking a day or two off." Grell was still pushing the issue.

"I said I'll think about it Grell." It was Sebastian's job to keep the customer's happy. He honestly had no intention of thinking about Grell's offer. He just wanted to get home for a nap before school, and he couldn't leave until Grell and the few others left.

"Fine Sebbie, but eventually I want to see you at one of the parties! I'll even give you the times."

"You do realize I'm still in highschool?"

"You're eighteen, nothing wrong with attending a party. Besides, aren't you supposed to be rebellious at this age?" Grell smirked, showing a set of overly sharp teeth.

"Only some of us are."

"What a pity. You're missing out on the best part of life!"

Sebastian snorted. "If the best part of life means getting up at midnight just to get to work, working till four, napping till six, and getting to school by eight, then I hope the rest of life is boring."

"See, you work too hard." Grell pointed out; his smirk growing larger. "You should really join us! I have on good authority that one of your favorites is going to be playing?"

This had Sebastian intrigued. "Who?"

"Masque of the Red Death." Grell was grinning now.

Of course it had to be them. They were one of Sebastian's favorite local bands. "I might have to make an apperance."

"Good! Here is the address and date for the party! It's a costume party in honor of Halloween." Grell was excited. Sebastian never thought to come to one of the parties in the area.

"I said I might. " He laughed as he walked back to the counter.

When Sebastian's shift was over, he quickly grabbed his things and headed out. He stopped by the water front, admiring the inky black water. The beach looked almost white in the moonlight, and the bright stars illuminated the sky even further.

The beach was the entire reason Sebastian had chosen to settle nearby. A small flat overlooking the water was worth its weight in gold. He enjoyed listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks and sand.

The road was dark as he made his way home; ignoring the small groups of people gathered along some of the alleys. It wasn't like they could harm him, but one could never be too careful. He didn't want to blow his cover.

His apartment was small, but furnished nicely. The entire house was done in schemes of grey and white, creating a monochrome scale. Sebastian's bedroom was the pinnacle of the design, putting together tones of grey, black, and white to create a lovely master bedroom.

"Home sweet home." He muttered as he set his bag down and slipped off his shirt. Demons didn't need sleep, but certain things were emotionally exhausting. He slid beneath plush grey comforters and rested his head on dark cloth pillow cases. It wasn't long before he fell asleep.


	2. Coffee Scented Halls

Early morning classes were always a bore for Sebastian. There was never anything excited in them, and the continuous repetition of lessons eventually lead to Sebastian dozing off in class. He was a smart student, but learning the same thing year after year lead Sebastian to ignoring given instruction and sleeping.

Today was no different, as Sebastian settled down in his seat for the day, he wondered if anything new would happen. The lesson began as normal: take roll, collect homework, pass out notes, and begin the lecture. Sebastian sighed at the monotony of it all. History classes were always the worst, considering Sebastian had lived through most of the curriculum. When the lesson began Sebastian concentrated more on why his pants had an odd smudge of red along the knee of his grey jeans. He pondered whether it was sharpie or from where he cut his finger while fixing his computer. He sighed softly and gently scratched at the stain, figuring it would flake off if it were a dried substance. The mysterious stain flaked off a bit. Sebastian then remembered the strawberry jam he had spilled on the offending article.

While Sebastian was sufficiently distracted, the door to the classroom creaked open, and a boy stepped through the portal. The teacher paused and looked confused. The boy couldn't have been more than thirteen, and the class was one strictly for seniors. His hair was a slate blue; covering one of his eyes with a fringe of bangs. The boy couldn't have been taller than the average freshman, and his face still held a boyish youth. "Is this World Government?" The boy's voice was clear, though it betrayed his age.

"It is."

"I'm Ciel." His voice trailed off. The blue haired boy stepped into the classroom. He wore a pair of black jeans, and a blue and black multicolored belt. His shirt was a dark blue button up, with a black tie. His lip held a small black ring on one side, and a blue on on the other.

"Oh yes, the Headmaster said you'd be arriving today. You'll be sitting by Mr. Michaelis. Grab a book off the back shelf and take a note packet from the table." The teacher turned back to the blackboard and continued to drone on about the stability of government and its effects on trade and its people. Sebastian motioned him to the seat mentioned by Professor Spears.

Ciel picked up his notes and grabbed a textbook from the back. He then slipped in the seat next to Sebastian and proceeded to catch up on notes.

Sebastian flashed him a small smile. "I'm Sebastian Michaelis." He outstretched his hand.

"Ciel Phantomhive. " The boy did not take the outstretched hand, but looked at it as if it were going to bite him. "Thank you for letting me copy your notes." He whispered as Professor Spears continued with his lecture.

"You're welcome." Sebastian withdrew his hand and continued to copy notes.

The class continued along until finally the bell rang. The seniors took off; running to their next class. Sebastian grabbed his bag and walked to his math class for the day. It was one of the few classes he enjoyed. Halfway down the hall he noticed Ciel following him. "Lost newbie?"

"No. I'm heading to Analysis." Ciel's retort made Sebastian smirk. The kid was way in over his head. He was probably one of those sophomores who kept trying to graduate early. They didn't realize that they were suffering for nothing; half of them wouldn't graduate on time due to the intense course load and failing grades.

"Good luck, if you've got Dietrich you'll want to transfer."

"I doubt it." Ciel scowled slightly. The guidance office had recommended he change his graduation date, but he wouldn't listen.

Sebastian chuckled. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

The two entered Dietrich's classroom and Sebastian took his regular seat in the back. Ciel handed his schedule to the professor and received his materials for the day. He was given a seat in the front. Ciel set his backpack down in his seat, then gently brushed his bangs over his right eye as he sat down.

On the board was a warmup with a quadratic function. Ciel smirked as he copied the problem and proceeded to solve it. Sebastian smirked to himself as he too copied the problem. It was simple enough, all he had to do was find the vertex of the parabola.

"Michaelis, Phantomhive, why don't you two race?" Dietrich was an evil teacher, although Sebastian had to commend him on style. What better way to test if Ciel belonged in the class than to test him on the most recent material. The embarrassment tended to overwhelm younger students; getting them to drop the class.

Sebastian stood and walked up to the board, while Ciel looked vaguely annoyed and joined him. "Three," Dietrich gave a hellish grin.

"Two," The boys grabbed their chalk, ready to prove their skill.

"One." The pair began work. Ciel was surprisingly fast as he began putting up the work necessary to solve the problem. Sebastian was right behind him, then began to take the lead. The lead wasn't that large though, as Sebastian finished a number, Ciel would be beginning it. The one character lead was enough. "X equals-" Sebastian's chalk broke as he wrote out the equal sign." He stared at the broken piece of white mineral as Ciel finished the problem.

"X equals two. Y equals negative one." Ciel looked up at Sebastian, giving him a smirk that could have been translated as 'Told you.'

Professor Dietrich gave a conceding sigh as he congratulated Ciel. "Good job Phantomhive."

Ciel gave a nod of thanks and sat back down, ready to take notes. It would take a lot more than a simple math problem to scare him off. The boy next to him smiled at the new kid and reached out his hand. "I'm Claude. It's nice to meet you."


	3. Cat and Mouse

**AN: **_Oh gosh in my excitement of putting these chapters up I forgot to write-up my author's notes! Well this is a little late but, this entire story is dedicated to my awesome friend Alex! :D Just a heads up, I don't have a beta for this story so all mistakes are my own. I try to proof-read things before I put them up, but sometimes I miss things. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Kuro at all. _

Lunch couldn't come fast enough for the hungry seniors as the bell took them from their second block class down to lunch. The cafeteria was a large place and Ciel looked utterly lost. "Where is she?" Ciel whispered to himself as he scanned the tables for his cousin. She said that she sat in the large commons for lunch. Of course there were a lot of blonde girls in the school.

Ciel sighed in frustration as he continued to walk along the tables, hoping he wasn't looking like some sort of freak.

"Ciel! Over here!" A distinctly feminine voice cried out. Ciel turned to see Lizzy at one of the tables in the corner. He quickly hurried over, scowling at the inconvenience her terrible instructions had caused.

"You could have said it was one of the ones in the corner so I didn't look like some sort of weirdo." Ciel huffed as he sat his things down.

Lizzy hugged him. "Sorry Cielie, I was so excited I forgot!"

Ciel flinched and scowled. "Lizzy let go." As an after thought he added "please?"

"Oh sorry Ciel, I forgot!" She hastily let go and sat down. "Better? "

Ciel relaxed a little and gave her a small smile. "Yeah, sorry 'bout know how I am with large groups." Lizzy nodded, it was the entire reason he was here with her. He had switched schools because of some sort of conflict with the other students.

"It's alright Cielie, anyways the others will be here in just a second. They had to go pick something up from the office. Silly senior stuff."

Ciel raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Lizzy to hang out with older kids. "Oh?"

"Yeah, they ordered all their graduation stuff early since they don't have any worries about it. Sebastian even got some special cords for doing college courses!"

"Sebastian. Would his last name happen to be Michaelis?"

"Yeah! You've heard of him already? I mean he's pretty well know but I didn't realize he was that talked about." Lizzy fawned over Sebastian. She thought he was absolutely adorable, and it didn't hurt that he was so terribly smart.

"He's in my history class, and in my math class." Ciel could feel his shirt riding up from where he had it tucked in. The bloody things never stayed in place. Not even a belt could keep the fabric from sliding from it's supposedly secure place.

Lizzy stared. "You're in two of the same classes with him? You're SO smart Ciel!" Lizzy squealed. "I can't believe my cousin is so smart!"

"Lizzy, you knew I was going in as a senior this year." Ciel was only sixteen. His seventeenth birthday was two months away.

"I know, but you can still take general level courses!"

Ciel sighed. His cousin was such a scatter brain. "Why would I take general level courses? They're boring."

Lizzy frowned at Ciel. "They aren't boring, you're just too smart for them." Obviously he had hit a nerve with her.

"I'm sorry, they aren't boring. I just don't like them."

A group of people walked up to the table. "Sorry we're late Liz, that took longer than expected!" A blond-haired boy slid into the seat next to the petite girl.

"It's no problem Alois. I made sure you still had chairs." She was practically beaming at the scantily clad male. He obviously shopped in the women's section in order to find those shorts. They were a bright highlighter purple that reminded Ciel of Wild Berry Pop-tarts. "Oh guys, this is Ciel, my cousin. He just moved here!"

"Nice to meet you!" Alois gave Ciel an overly friendly smile, then began fussing with the bow around his neck.

"Ciel, this is Alois, Ran-Mao, and Hannah! Ran-Mao is the exchange student from China!" Lizzy pointed to each in turn, although the separation was unnecessary. Ran Mao's cheongsam was like a neon arrow.

Hannah gave a nod of greeting and sat down in between Alois and Ran-Mao. Her hair was died a striking lavender that stood out against her tanned skin. "Did Sutcliff put creepy comments on your paper too Alois?"

The blonde boy nodded, and the two were soon drawn into a conversation. Sebastian came up to the table, interrupting the two. "Who took my graduation box?" He sounded a bit frustrated.

Alois gave a smile, "I figured I'd pick it up for you." Sebastian shook his head, sighing softly.

"They forgot to sign it out to you. They were looking for it when I left." He was tired of the mishaps of the office. It seemed like every day they required him to fill out some form that had been missed for some class.

Alois laughed and handed the box over to Sebastian, who frowned at the measurements on the list. "This is yours." Sebastian laughed. "This would be like me wearing those shorts of yours."

The blonde boy let out a peal of laughter. "God you don't know how much I'd pay to see you in them." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Alois was always flirting with Sebastian.

"I'm sure Claude would have something to say about that." Sebastian sighed and took out a textbook to begin working on classwork. Knowing the teen, it was assuredly not due until next week.

"You're in Advanced Music Theory as well?" Ciel's voice broke into the conversation. Sebastian hadn't even noticed the smaller boy.

"You're taking classes at the university?" Sebastian was constantly surprised by the boy. The young boy was becoming something of an intrigue to him.

Ciel nodded, blushing slightly. It wasn't like him to act like this. "Y-Yeah. I'm dual enrolled. They didn't have the necessary levels of some of my courses, so they worked out a deal with the university. It was easier than I expected though. Most high schools aren't that open to it."

Lizzy laughed. "That's because Sebastian paved the way for all the other super smart over achievers like you!" Sebastian chuckled softly as he closed the text book. The work could wait for a bit.

"Are you also taking English over there?" Sebastian wondered if they hadn't just copied his schedule and handed it to the boy. Ciel nodded and pulled out the scrap of paper detailing his classes. Sebastian smirked. "This is my exact schedule."

"I guess they figured I could handle the work." Sebastian handed the boy back his schedule. Ciel stuck it in his pocket and smiled. Sebastian had already underestimated him once, would he make the mistake again?

"I guess you haven't told everyone here that you beat me at one of Dietrich's races." The chatter at the table stopped.

Ciel grimaced, so that was how he was going to play."No I figured it wouldn't be wise to gloat. Besides, it was a technicality. The next one I won't need the chalk to break in order to beat you."

It seemed the boy's sin was pride. Sebastian let out a soft chuckle. Pride was one of the tastier sins. "I guess that's a challenge. I guess I'll have to inform Dietrich about it."

Ciel nodded. The boy wasn't aware of the scope of the game that was being played. It appeared to be one of a basic nature, a 'catch me if you can' of sorts. Ciel was unaware that he was traveling through a mine-field. He was unaware of the cost to play. "Sounds like a match."

Sebastian nodded and gathered his things as the bell rang. The games had begun.

After school Sebastian headed to the cafe. He had been to work a double shift and train some new kid. If he weren't fond of the tips he would have declined. The walk from school to the cafe wasn't a long one, but it was dreadfully quiet.

The lanky demon slipped his backpack into his locker in the back and slipped his apron around his thin waist. The black cloth hugged his slim frame. He pulled his notepad from the top shelf of the locker, and a pen from his bag. He turned when he heard someone open the door.

Mey-rin stood at the entrance. She looked like a mess, but as the owner of the coffee shop, it was her normal look. She was always on hand unless there was some sort of emergency. "Sebastian! Thanks for coming in! We're short handed and we've got someone new to train." Mey-rin adjusted her glasses and grabbed one of the extra aprons from the wire rack in the back. In her haste, the red-head knocked over the rack.

"I didn't know we were accepting applications." Sebastian caught the wheeled contraption before it could crash on the floor. He quickly righted it.

Mey-rin sighed at her clumsiness. "Thank you. We weren't, but he sent in one anyways. I figured since we were short-handed why shouldn't we give him a chance?"

Sebastian nodded. They did need the extra help. "Who was it?

"A kid from your high school actually. His name is Ciel Phantomhive."


	4. Coffee and Kisses

**AN: **_Lol so many updates in one day. Alex, you better love me for this! XD _

_As always: I don't own Kuro._

Ciel wasn't that hard of an employee to train, and over the course of the month, he was working just as hard as Sebastian. The two of them had certainly gotten friendlier, and Sebastian noticed the bright pink blush that often stained Ciel's cheeks.

"Ciel, table twelve needs two java's and a colossus." Sebastian slipped the ticket over to the boy so that he wouldn't forget. The smaller boy nodded and picked up the ticket, clipping it to a small board in front of the cup stand.

"Got it." Ciel began mixing up the drinks; making sure to follow the directions on how to make the concoctions. Once he had finished pouring them into the white ceramic cups he rang a small bell, signaling Sebastian to come back over to pick up the drink orders.

The teen picked up the drinks and carried them over to their appointed table. "Sebbie, you missed the party!" Grell was still pouting that Sebastian had missed the 'party of the century'.

Sebastian sighed and sat down the cups. "I had to work. Mey-rin needed me to work, so how could I let her down?" He gave a smile, hoping to charm his way out of the situation.

Grell nearly fainted. "O-Of course, rescuing a damsel in distress is so noble of you!" Sebastian chuckled softly.

"Thank you. I was also training our new server." Sebastian motioned to Ciel with his head. It wasn't a lie per say. Ciel had trained quicker than most of the other servers at the cafe.

"The little thing over there? I didn't even know he was old enough to work, let alone work the late shift." Grell had noticed that Sebastian had been spending more time with the trainee than usual. It upset the man to no end. Sebastian should have succumbed to his beauty by now.

Grell wore his long hair back in a low ponytail; hoping it would show off his angular jaw. He had even styled his bangs to frame his green eyes well, and had even lined them with a dark liner to add even more definition.

"He's old enough." Sebastian smirked softly. The boy had definitely grown on him. Over the past month their friendship had began to take a different form. "I should go check on the other tables." Sebastian left the red-head and quickly made his rounds around the tables. He removed empty cups and took orders for more drinks.

Ciel looked up from the book he was reading and smiled softly. "Hey." His cheeks were stained a slight pink. His hair was rumpled from where his fingers kept combing through the long locks. The boy's shirt was rumpled from constantly moving around the shop. His bangs had been brushed back while the boy was studying and Sebastian could barely see a faint ridge of scars along the top Ciel's cheekbone. It wasn't disguisting though, in fact it simply highlighted the already prominent facial feature.

"Hey." Sebastian gave him a warm smile and began to fill drink orders. White ceramic cups were placed along the counter and he began to prepare the different additives. He didn't understand why someone would want a shot of chocolate with a pumpkin pie latte, but it wasn't his job to comment on the drinks.

"You know I can do that." He hated it when Sebastian wouldn't let him do his job. It frustrated him to no end that Sebastian thought he wasn't capable of making a few drinks.

Sebastian stopped and turned to the boy. "You need to study. We have a quiz tomorrow on Mesopotamian government." He smirked and continued to make the drinks. "Besides, I'm faster, and the faster they leave, the sooner I can take a break." The shift still had two hours to it.

"Fine." Ciel scowled at Sebastian and went back to studying. When Sebastian came back from making his rounds, Ciel had moved onto another subject.

"Ciel?"

The blue haired boy looked up. Sebastian's voice sounded different. It was softer, almost like a caress. "Y-yeah?" His cheeks flushed pink. The reaction annoyed the boy, but Ciel knew he couldn't help it. Sebastian just simply had that effect on him. The lanky teen was much closer than Ciel had though. Instead of staying by the back counter like he was prone to doing, Sebastian was right behind Ciel's shoulder. The closeness made Ciel's cheeks darken.

"I was wondering," Sebastian began. At this distance he could clearly smell the aroma of Ciel's soul. "Why are you always blushing?" He already knew the answer to this of course. Sebastian had plotted this very well.

The past month had been torture to have such a beautiful soul so close, yet so far away. The scent of it was driving him mad. It had been a long time since he had fed on something so delicious.

Ciel stood and moved towards the back counter, trying to get some distance to think. "I don't know." He fiddled with a blue ring on his thumb. So much about Ciel was blue.

Sebastian slipped behind him, smirking. "I think you do." The whisper was light in his ear. Ciel nearly gasped. How the hell had he moved so quietly? A gentle tug on his belt pulled the smaller boy off balance and into Sebastian's arms.

Ciel's face was cherry red. "A-and what if I do?" They were inches apart. Sebastian's dark hair fell around Ciel's face, creating a small world that consisted of just the two of them. Ciel's slate blue hair had fallen back to expose even more of the lacework of scars that extended over the lid of his eye. The other eye was looking up at him, and if Sebastian looked deep enough he could see the overwhelming sorrow hidden among the blue.

The older teen kept the curiosity from his face. If he took his soul now, he would never know the story behind such sad eyes.

"Then it'd be my duty to tell you I feel the same way." The gap between them was closed as Sebastian pressed his lips to Ciel's.


	5. Caresses and Cocoa

_**AN: **Well guys, here is chapter five! I hope you guys enjoy it! :D  
_

_Disclaimer: Still don't own Kuro_

The next day Ciel avoided Sebastian in school. He had no clue how to process the events of the prior day. They had kissed. That much he knew he couldn't deny. When he got home he slipped into his room and sprawled on the bed.

Ciel was so terribly unsure of his feelings. He had never been one of _those_ people. He had always had some interest in girls, didn't he? The boy sighed and curled up. He hadn't slept well the night before. Flashes of the kiss played through his head like a miniature movie.

The boy scowled as he rolled over to turn on some music to distract himself. He wasn't going to be one of those kids who sat around mooning over their infatuations. After all, that was all that it was. Some stupid fascination with the boy. Ciel was the new kid in town, that was the only reason Sebastian was even interested. He was the new toy to play with. Ciel was familiar with the shiny new toy complex that some people possessed. This wasn't love, it was some mere infatuation.

Ciel sighed and felt like smothering himself with a pillow. He grabbed the feather stuffed article and put it over his face, letting out an exclamation of frustration. "He doesn't love you, you stupid twit now get over it." He grumbled to himself and sat up. He needed to do something, anything to get his mind off the situation.

He got up from the bed and grabbed his school books. Homework would be brain numbing enough to fix it. Ciel opened his Calculus book and began to work. The endeavor was successful for a time, but after an hour of studying math Ciel grew bored and began to wander in thought. He couldn't understand exactly what had happened. Why had Sebastian kissed him? It wasn't like he had given him any inclination that something of that nature would have been okay.

Ciel growled in annoyance. How he hated the way he was acting. It wasn't like him. He was acting like a school girl with a crush. Soon he would be doodling hearts on his binders. God he was so pathetic.

His laptop emitted a sharp plink as he received an email. Frowning he slid over to his computer and clicked the little envelope icon.

_You're cute when you worry you know._

_~ S._

Ciel let out a groan. How had the enigma gotten his email? Another plink announced an answer to his question.

_By the way, don't put your personal email on a company website. _

_3 S._

Ciel huffed in annoyance. Of course he had gotten it from the Funtom homepage. He made a mental note to pull down the email address at the next possible moment. For now he had more pressing matters to attend to.

_Wow, now you've resorted to stalking me? I'd be flattered if I wasn't worried you were outside my window with binoculars. _

_~ C. Phantomhive._

He laughed and sent the message, then went over to his window and opened the curtains. He checked his yard for any signs of the black-haired teen. When he saw none Ciel closed the blinds and moved back to his laptop, awaiting the plink.

When it finally arrived Ciel opened the message.

_No, I'm not outside your window. I'm outside your door.  
~S._

Just then the doorbell rang, causing Ciel to start. He scrambled up from his computer chair and rushed out of his bedroom and down the stairs. When he hit the wood floor with his socks Ciel took off sliding across the floors. He flailed as he tried to keep his balance as he continued to slide. "I've got it!" He called out as he continued to race to the door.

Pulling open the wooden contraption, Ciel stared in disbelief. Sebastian was right outside his door. "How did you find the house?"

Sebastian laughed. "No hello? You must be really fond of me." HE ruffled Ciel's hair and smirked. "Are you going to let me in?"

Ciel frowned, "I really shouldn't, considering you're stalking me." Then his lips stretched into a grin. "Never know what sort of strangers can follow you off the net." Ciel then closed the door.

Sebastian stared in shock. Ciel had closed the door on him. He didn't mean to scare the boy, not yet anyways. "Ciel?" Sebastian called out, gently knocking on the door.

Ciel cracked open the door, still smirking. "Oh, hi there!" Sebastian continued to stare. "You know, that's incredibly rude." He laughed and opened the wooden door further. "Come in before you freeze." Ciel took his hand and pulled him inside the manor. "Take off your shoes. My aunt doesn't like shoes on the hardwood." He pointed to his socks and wiggled his toes.

Sebastian nodded and removed his boots. "Wouldn't want to make your aunt mad." He smiled gently and looked around. The manor was decorated in tones of white, dark wood, and golds. It reminded him of old Victorian manors from back in the day. There were tapestries that seemed to date back to at least the early 1900's and the furniture all looked antique.

"Do you want some cocoa?" Ciel rubbed his arms slightly. The house was always cold, and the fact that he was wearing short sleeves didn't help. The chocolate drink would help warm them up and give him something to do rather than stand around awkwardly.

"Cocoa would be lovely, thank you." Sebastian smirked. Of course the kid who worked at a coffee-house wouldn't drink coffee on his days off. Ciel lead him to the kitchen and Sebastian stared. It was beautiful. Stainless steel appliances, and top of the line professional ranges. In the center of the expansive kitchen was a black and white marble top island. "I think I died and went to culinary heaven."

Ciel laughed and removed a stool from under the lip of the island and motioned for Sebastian to sit. "Yeah, it's a bit much for just the five of us, but occasionally my aunt throws parties..." Ciel didn't want to mention the cooking staff. He didn't like showing off the fact that his family was wealthy.

"So, you're a secret member of the aristocracy who has a part-time job and an honors student." Sebastian smirked at Ciel's rapidly blushing face. "Is there anything you don't do?"

"Bake. I'm terrible at it. I burn cookies all the time." Ciel grabbed a small pot from the overhead wire rack and moved over to the counter. He then grabbed a small bowl and retrieved the necessary ingredients to make hot chocolate. He mixed together cocoa powder and sugar while heating the milk.

"You make it by hand?" Sebastian hadn't seen anyone do that in ages. Most places just used powdered mix and hot water.

Ciel nodded and poured the mixture into the pan, smiling. "It's a family recipe." He smiled and added a tiny bit of vanilla and made sure everything was blended.

"Family recipes are nothing to mess with." Sebastian smiled as he watched Ciel in the kitchen. It was terribly cute the way his brow furrowed as he tried to remember measurements and times. 'He's just another meal. Nothing more.'

Ciel handed a mug over to Sebastian and smiled. "There you go, Phantomhive Hot Chocolate." He would have marketed the recipe by now if his aunt hadn't forbidden it.

Sebastian took the mug in hand and sipped at it. "Best hot cocoa I've ever had." He honestly did like it. There was enough cocoa powder that it was nice and rich, and had enough sugar to counter the bitterness of the cocoa powder.

Ciel blushed and sat beside Sebastian. He sipped at his hot chocolate and ran his finger along the rim of the blue mug. Sebastian slid Ciel's stool closer to his. "Demanding much?"

Sebastian leaned in close. "No, I just simply thought you were too far away."

Ciel laughed, "And what if I liked where I was sitting?"

"Then too bad." The demon leaned in closer, planting a small kiss on Ciel's forehead. "Thank you for the hot cocoa. It's really good."

"Ciel, why do I smell hot choco-" Lizzy frowned as she came into the kitchen. Ciel flushed bright crimson, and tried to hide it by setting his head down on the island.

"Hi Lizzy." Sebastian raised his cup; greeting Ciel's cousin. "I didn't know you lived with Ciel."

"Ciel is living with us since the-"

Ciel shot Lizzy a withering glare. "Enough."

Elizabeth stuck her tongue out and huffed. "Sorry Sebastian, Ciel's being moody today. "

Sebastian nodded and gave a reassuring smile to Ciel. "It's alright, I won't pry." Ciel sighed softly and took Sebastian's hand.

"My room is probably a better place to talk..." He mumbled and picked up his mug with his remaining hand.

Sebastian smirked and once again nodded. "Alright Ciel. See you later Lizzy."

The pair made their way upstairs and stopped in front of Ciel's bedroom. "Well, this is it. This is my room." Ciel gently pushed on the door to reveal the tidy room.


	6. Memories and Misery

_**AN: **__Hi guys, sorry for the short chapter and the time between updates! I'm in school and everyone seemed to pile a fuck ton of homework on top of me for the past two weeks, on top of home stuff. I hope to have another chapter out by the end of the weekend though._

_Still for you Alex, because unlike my other fans: you get to hound me IRL for new chapters. Which makes me laugh when I'm not stressing out about how much homework I have. Tu haces Espanol muy divertido. (I can't figure out how to get the bloody accent so please pretend it is there 3) _

_All your reviews make me smile when I'm supposed to be writing papers xDD_

_Disclaimer: Since there currently isn't a Sebastian beside me, I assume I don't own Kuroshitsuji._

Ciel wasn't quite sure why he invited Sebastian up to the room in the first place. The walls were a light blue, and the curtains were white lace. The air seemed slightly feminine, yet it didn't look odd for Ciel. The room was in direct contrast to how the boy dressed, yet the soft tones made Ciel seem all that more vulnerable.

In the center of the room was a large wrought iron bed that dominated the room. The bedspread was dark blue, a startling contrast to the light, airy walls and delicate details.

Sebastian smiled. "Did you decorate it yourself?"

"No, my aunt picked out the wall colours and the other furniture. I picked the bed and the blanket."

"You have good taste then. " Sebastian sat down at the edge of the bed, much to Ciel's dismay. The blue haired teen scowled as he watched the covers wrinkle. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just going to have to make the bed again."

Sebastian chuckled at Ciel's annoyance and patted the spot next to him. "Sit with me?"

"Is it safe?"

Sebastian frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Last time I ended up this close to you, you kissed me." Ciel made his way over to the be, slipping next to Sebastian.

Sebastian smirked at the memory. The small taste he received of the boy's soul was nearly enough to cause him to devour him right there. But Sebastian was the paragon of patience. He would wait to take the soul. He'd season it until it was the epitome of perfection. "It's safe."

Ciel was already beside him. The teen sat but inches away. His hair had shifted and had fallen to cover his blue eyes, and Sebastian couldn't help but brush the locks out of the way. The boy flinched at the sudden contact.

"Sorry." Sebastian hadn't expected the reaction. He knew the boy didn't like being touched, but he had figured it was for long periods of time.

Ciel shook his head. "Sorry, sometimes I still just flinch. I've been working at it..." He trailed off, blushing. Sebastian's frown deepened as Ciel drew back. "I guess I still have to work at it."

"Ciel, did something happen?"

The blue haired teen shook his head. He looked worried. "No, nothing of that sort. I've just never liked being touched." As if phobias of being touched magically appeared out of nowhere. "I've just never liked being touched."

Sebastian sighed. The boy would tell him in time. He could see the stains on his soul that the event had left. He saw the blackness that clouded the small boy's heart and the fatigue the nightmares brought him. He could smell the desperation that clouded around the teen. He saw how he clung to normalcy like it was a life preserver. "Alright Ciel." The demon let the subject drop, and a silence fell around them.

Ciel bit his lip, sighing softly. He hated when he made it so obvious that something was wrong with him. That he was still broken. He hated being broken. He had tried for so long to pick up the pieces, but yet he kept falling apart. How often had he woken up from terrors that had him shaking and sobbing, yet he still denied that anything was wrong. He wrapped his arms around himself, a subconscious gesture to help hold himself together. It wasn't like he had asked for it.

The demon sighed softly and slowly wrapped an arm around Ciel; holding him close. "It..It will be okay Ciel." Sebastian wasn't any good at the entire comfort thing. He had never had to supply it. The boy was radically different from his usual prey.

Ciel found himself relaxing into the embrace. It was odd that he felt so comfortable with the older boy, yet they had only been friends for months. Ciel felt like he could tell him anything, yet didn't want to burden him with the knowledge. His shoulders began to shake. He was so tired.

Sebastian simply held the boy and began to stroke his hair, making a soft shushing noise as he tried to calm the boy. The demon felt protective of the boy, though Sebastian equated it to simply wanting to make sure he was the only one to consume the soul, he was afraid it meant something else.

The shaking shoulders gave way to small tears which Ciel cursed himself for. He was so bloody weak. He couldn't stop anything. If he couldn't control his emotions how could he control his life? He bit down on his lip; trying to focus on something other than the pain he felt throughout his body. It was a pain he could feel to his very core. He shuddered softly at the sudden cold numbness that began to float through him.

Ciel had fought against the creeping cold for a time. He had never been more ready to give in. He was weary, both mentally and physically. He hadn't been sleeping. He hadn't been eating. He just wanted to sleep.

Sebastian could see through the walls he put up and it terrified Ciel. It was like he could see to the core of his being. "Ciel. It's alright." The boy could feel Sebastian's hands comb through his hair, much like a mother might do to a scared child. "It's going to be okay. It'll be alright Ciel. No one is going to hurt you. I won't let them."


End file.
